Lost and Found
by Space Whales
Summary: A story of how the directionally challenged and the socially lost find a best friend. Please RxR.
1. The Meeting

**I came across this idea the other day, thinking about Julius and Ace and what a dedicated friend Ace seemed to be. In the last chapter of the second book, Ace says, "I'm so jealous I think I could kill you." However, we all know that's bull. I really don't think that Ace is capable of hurting his bestest friend.**

**So that's how I came to the thought "Why DOES Ace hang around that guy so much?" And since I haven't seen a Fic like this, I thought, "Why not?" and then, "I should really publish this before someone takes my idea...**

**Please enjoy! And, if you're feeling really nice, please review! Even two reviews makes me want to write more, and I usually read and review stories from the people who review my stuff.**

_Knock knock knock,_ Ace's father rapped on the door.

Mumbled instruction. A high-pitched "Yessir," could be heard in reply.

__

Tmp tmp tmp. Click. Creeeak.

The door swung open to reveal a very long-haired girl that couldn't have been more than eight years old. Although she was small, she was still taller than Ace by a couple inches. Bright, cobalt eyes regarded him with curiosity, but the rest of her features remained expressionless. Strangely, she wore dark pants instead of a skirt, and a black duster instead of a blouse. A clock-style tie declared her apprenticeship as well as a watch on her left wrist and a miniature clock attached to a black ribbon on the opposite ear. Her attire looked rather heavy for the late-summer heat, but she was the most delicate individual Ace had ever seen.

Blood rushed to his cheeks. While he gaped, the girl bowed to his father and held the door for him to enter. He gave a crooked grin and immediately helped himself into the residence. When Ace didn't move, the girl turned to him.

"Are you coming in?"

"Pretty…" he muttered.

The girl stiffened. "I'm sorry_?_" was enunciated through perfect teeth.

He just stared.

Her eyes smoldered with irritation, and she sounded out each word. "I have _work _to do. Are you coming _in?"_

That made him move. Bowing to the girl— which earned him the pleasure of seeing her eyes widen— Ace stepped inside.

"Thank you," he gave his best smile.

She looked very confused. "Y-you're welcome." With that, she led him upstairs to the workshop where their guardians were already involved in a conversation.

The clockmaker, Rodard, was a thin wisp of a man with a raspy voice, weak smile, and kind eyes that shone when his charge entered the room. White hair dusted the top of his head and calloused, withered hands rested on a stack of books. Only being six and having no particular schooling in it, reading wasn't exactly his favorite pastime. But judging by the bookshelf that covered a good half of the left wall, these two didn't feel the same. As if to prove his point, the girl pattered off over to the bookshelf and stood on tiptoe to drag a hefty volume off of the shelf. The doting old man beamed when the girl lugged it over and plunked it down with a quiet "Here you go." When he smiled in thanks, Ace thought he could see her glowing.

The conversation finally ended with himself still standing in the doorway, the apprentice sitting at her master's feet, and his father in a humble wooden chair. It groaned softly when he stood up to seal the contract with a handshake. The girl raised an eyebrow and looked Ace over.

"Thank you again, Rodard Monrey," the faceless smiled, exiting the room. Ace began trotting after him, but stopped when his father turned around.

"Sorry, kid, but you'll be staying here for a while," he smiled. "Get the clockmaker to tell you the details, show you where your room is, all that stuff. I should be back around next month to pick you up. Later, kiddo."

"Bye, Dad!" Ace chirped happily.

__

Creeeak. Click. Tmp tmp tmp.

Turning back towards the morticians, Ace smiled.

"Can you show me my room?"

They stared blankly at him.

"You," the girl started slowly, "DO realize that you're not going to see him for a month at least, right?"

Ace blinked. "Uh-huh."

"Is that NORMAL to be so nonchalant about it?"

"'Non-sha-lunt?'"

"Calm."

"Oh! Of course. This isn't the first time it's happened," he grinned reassuringly.

Both listeners looked mortified instead.

He hurried on to comfort them. "Don't worry, I'll have a much funner time with you than the last family, and their girl wasn't nearly as pretty as you," he quickly added.

The said girl blanched. "What did you call me?"

"Hm? I thought girls liked being called pretty."

"'Girl?'" she echoed again, now turning red.

Ace was supremely confused by now. Was something wrong? Did he speak clearly? He looked at her face again. It was a bright crimson, and she was trembling with a fury that could barely be contained in her thin body.

"Um…" he looked up at Rodard, who was smiling sympathetically at his apprentice. "Did I say something wrong?"

..oOo.

"I would have NEVER guessed that you were a GUY, Julius!" Ace told him earnestly for the twentieth time. He was hanging off the back of the sofa while the boy— he was sure it was a boy by now— industriously ignored him by reading _The Mechanics of Clock Repair._

"I mean you're so SKINNY!" he continued, swinging his legs. "And your hair's so LONG!"

Julius glared at his book. Ace fell silent this time before clambering over the back and onto the side opposite of his new housemate.

"Do you hate me?" he asked quietly.

Silence preceded a soft thump as Julius shut the book. Setting it on his lap, he looked evenly at his junior. "I wouldn't trifle myself with something so unproductive."

Ace considered what he said. "So that's a no?"

"That's a no."

His face broke into a beaming grin. "Great! So we're friends?"

The book opened again and covered Julius's face. "Acquaintances."

"Great! So we're friends?" Ace squirmed in his seat to see Julius's face, but the barrier was too effective.

"… peculiar…" he mumbled.

Ace's face cracked into another smile and he burst into laughter. "_Peculiar?_ Did you just call me _peculiar?"_ He pushed the book down to see the boy looking away, long bangs covering his face. Ace laughed harder.

"And you're _blushing! Just like a girl!"_

**...**


	2. Shopping

**Hello again. -_-' It's… haha… been awhile…**

**Now, what took me so long? Well, I got really wrapped up in chapter two and ended up writing something that was like, eight pages on Word. So I split it. Unevenly... Well, I hope you enjoy… Eheh…**

Chapter 2

_Sproing… sproing… sproing…_

There was only one reason Julius's bed would be bobbing at this ungodly hour…

"Good morning, Julius!"

…and that reason came in the form of a red, footie-pajama-clad blur. Even now, as Julius cracked his eyes open, he could see his new housemate smiling more brightly than the rays of sun that shone through his curtain. Ever since the five-year-old had moved-in four days ago-he had taken it upon himself to wake up Julius at the crack of dawn every morning. "To live as much as we can!" or some other flowery, childish philosophy. Whatever reason it was, it seemed Ace was determined to stick with it.

"I thought I locked the door," he rolled away from the literally bouncing ball of sunshine.

Ace stopped jumping on the mattress and sat down, leaning over to him, "Yeah, but not the air ducts."

"Of course not the-" Julius shot up. "Wait, did you just say air ducts?"

"Uh-huh," he beamed, "and tomorrow, I'll come in through the chimney!"

Julius sighed and fell back, resulting in the five-year-old invading his personal space by hovering over his face.

Sigh. "What are you doing?"

"Staring at you."

"Why?" Julius didn't bother wasting energy by getting irritated at the little sunspot.

"So you'll get so uncomfortable you'll HAVE to get up!"

"Go away."

"No."

"Ace, go away."

Silence passed between them and Ace finally hopped off the bed. Julius stiffened, not expecting such immediate compliance.

"Okay, I'll leave," he muttered, then louder, "a GIRL needs her beauty sleep after all," Ace called, his crimson-clad foot disappearing behind the doorway.

"I'm not a girl!" he threw back the covers and almost fell out of the bed.

"Then prove it!"

Five minutes later, Julius was setting in the kitchen with the manipulative little demon.

"Manipulative little demon," he told it.

Ace grinned around a mouthful of pancake. "Hain-koo!"

"That wasn't a compliment."

There was a small pause as Ace retrieved the word from his vocabulary. When it clicked, he grinned again. "Nn-kay!"

Julius inspected the odd thing beside him. _A puppy, _he decided. _It's a puppy._ The type that came back no matter how many times it was left on the street. Everything about him-except for the ability to crawl through the ventilation system- shouted "Nice!" and "Innocent!" Even now, his eyes shone and his chestnut, duck-fluff hair stuck out in all directions in a tangible representation of his sporadic attitude.

Then there was that whole helpless, left-in-the-rain look he got when he asked if Julius hated him. He made it sound like his last hope, like everyone but Julius avoided his presence. As he contemplated the psychology behind this, his grandfather approached them with a cup of coffee. Julius had never tasted the beverage before, but his grandpa drank it religiously. Because of that, almost all of Julius's best memories were accompanied by a faint, bitter smell.

"Hello, boys," Rodard smiled. "My, Julius, you've been getting up early these past few days. A good habit for a good clockmaker."

Ace beamed and Julius would have glared were it not for his next words: "Julius wakes me up too, sir. It's fun to have more time to play together."

"Is that so?" his eyes glowed at them and his lips quirked. "Well, boys, can I convince you to run an errand for me?"

"Yessir!" both sat up straighter.

"We're currently running low on coffee beans. Would you two fine young men run to the town for me?"

"Yessir!" They ran out the door, Julius grabbing his duster on the way.

When they got outside, Julius turned to Ace, who was somehow fully dressed before he reached the kitchen and was now toting a decrepit red wagon.

"Why did you tell him that?" he asked.

Ace shrugged. "I dunno. You kind of get all glowy and happy when he praises you." Then he grinned, "And now you'll HAVE to get up and play with me!"

Julius glowered. _So that's what it came down to…_

"So now we're both glowy and happy, right?"

Pause.

"Hahaha! You're blushing again!"

"Shuddup," he mumbled, taking a few steps.

"You're going the wrong way," Ace told him.

"No, I'm not."

"Yeah-_huh_. Follow me! I know a shortcut!"

Giving a skeptical snort, Julius followed the younger child. To the wagon's credit, it was holding its own on the bumpy path.

"By the way, where did you get that?" Julius asked, looking pointedly at the scrap metal on wheels.

"This?" he replied. "Never leave home without it."

The navy-haired boy stopped his tracks, shook his head, and continued behind Ace into the town. The walk had taken less than fifteen minutes.

"See? See? I did good, didn't I?" Ace smiled eagerly at Julius. Giving a small sigh and a smile, the older boy patted the younger's head. _A puppy,_ he thought again when the brunette's face lit up.

"Yeah, you did well."

A comfortable quiet fell as Julius finished ruffling Ace's hair. It really did feel like duck fluff.

"The last family I was with let me go out a lot, so I learned my way around," he laughed.

"Let you go out?"

"Uh-huh! And if I came back before the night period, they wouldn't lock me out either! Julius? Julius, you look mad. Where are you going? Wait for me!" Ace and his wagon clunked after him as Julius stormed into the shop that sold the brand his grandfather favored.

The little shop was old, to say the least. The shelves looked untouched, the floorboards creaked; as the door swung open, the hinges screamed in agony. Cobwebs littered the rafters and the windows were fogged with grime. Even the ancient shopkeeper seemed to be gathering dust.

"Well, if it isn't young Julius Monrey."

The two boys froze before realizing that the rasping sound was, first and foremost, a voice, and secondly, that it belonged to the old man.

No matter how many times he heard it, it always caught him off-guard when the living artifact spoke. He barely moved his mouth, had no hand gestures, and the only sign of who he was speaking to was the direction in which his head was pointed.

"Who's your little friend?" the decrepit faceless continued on, not noticing their moment of surprise.

"Ah…" Julius started. "This is-"

"I'm Ace!"

"I see," he gave a rustic chuckle. "Well, have a good look around."

"Okay!"

The companions-acquaintances, Julius reminded himself meandered over the shelves and blew the sedimentary dust off of several inches of space with considerable effort. As it flurried around them, something caught the elder's eye.

There on the shelf was a clock the size of his grandfather's fist. Four brass inches of diameter were dull with age and the glass had turned to a light gray with maltreatment. Two black, thin cloth straps extended from either side of the clock, connected by a time-stained, square clasp in the back. Gingerly picking it up, Julius stroked the clock.

"I can fix this," he muttered, knowing in that instant that he meant it.

The hinges shrieked again as someone else treaded into the shop, looking rather disgusted. Julius saw him mouth the word "Germs" before trotting over to the storekeeper.

The boy was perhaps a year younger than he was, but he seemed full of a self-important air that grated Julius's nerves. His head was coated with a fine mop of white hair and hosted a pair of six-inch rabbit ears. An oversized red, plaid waistcoat matched his apparent ego and had to be rolled up at the sleeves to the point where they were bulging. Vermillion irises gleamed behind rimless, owl-eye glasses as he gave a flamboyant pocket watch to the human relic, bouncing like he had somewhere to go. Looking around, his eyes widened when they landed on Julius's hands. The moment passed and he continued to fidget with his alabaster kid gloves.

"Excuse me," he squeaked irritably. His voice was higher than Ace's. "But I'm running late."

"For what?" Ace chirped.

The rabbit's eyes narrowed. "For a _very important date."_

Now adorned with a shiny Albert, the shopkeeper handed the clock back to the boy. He grinned until he flipped it open and saw the time. Eyes widening, he panicked. "I'm late I'm late I'm LATE!"

"Oof!"

The boy stood back up and sprinted out the door, leaving Ace to laugh at the toppled Julius.

"He was a head shorter than you are! How'd he knock you down?"

"Let's just get what we came for," he growled, standing up.

Ten minutes, three debates, and two wins later, the coffee beans were loaded into Ace's wagon and they were heading out the door.

"Excuse me," said the old man, "But your purchase of the clock-tie has not been paid for."

"Sir?" Julius turned halfway.

""The watch you were holding earlier."

"But I " his brows knitted. What had happended to the clock? All he remembered was one moment it was in his hands and the next it wasn't. "The white rabbit," he realized.

"Julius wouldn't steal anything!" his small supporter piped up.

"Sir, could we have some time to retrieve it? Neither of us took it, but I think the white rabbit may have accidentally collected it when we collided."

After calling them behind the desk to search them the shopkeeper grudgingly agreed.

"On one condition," he continued, turning his head towards young Monrey. "I'll have to keep that earring until the tie is found.

Julius's hand flew towards his ear. "But-"

"Even if you weren't guilty, I need some insurance that what's mine will be returned."

"But " his shoulders slumped. "Okay." Taking out the back gingerly, he handed the worn, meticulously cared-for ribbon to the admiring shopkeeper.

"I get it back, right?" he sounded as small and as insecure as he felt.

"If you can get me back the clock, then of course."

"Thank you, sir."

**Questions answered so far:**

**1.) How did the two meet?**

**2.) How long has Ace hidden things in his coat?**

**3.) How did Julius find his clock-tie?**

**And others that I've forgotten…**


	3. Caterpillars

****

Here's Chptr. 3. I hope you like this one better than Chptr. 2... Also, if you have any ideas/questions/things you want to see, please PM me, put it in your review… I get writer's block more easily than your average bear…

Anywho, this has a bit of a tribute to RunnyBabbit's fanfic called… called… ^^; I'm so tired… Um… Well, it has to do with Julius and Gray… when they were little… and stuff…

Chapter 3

The walk home was silent except for the shaky rattle of Ace's wagon and the muffled drag of Julius's feet.

"Julius, Are you okay?" his acquaintance asked at the door to the clock tower.

"Whatever," he growled.

"We could always get you a new clock."

"I said it doesn't matter!" storming inside, Julius slammed the door in Ace's face. He kept going until he reached the infirmary and heard a horrible retching sound.

"Ugh…"

Curiosity piqued, Julius calmed enough to want to peek in. It was a stark white, hospital-looking room with a single cot covered in a pale blue cloth. Underneath the blanket was a shivering lump. Upon a well-landed poke, it tensed and retched again.

"Nn…" shifting the covers, a silver-haired head poked itself out, leaving the rest of the body still burrito-wrapped in the sheet. "Gray, I thought I… You're not Gray."

"Did you figure out that one by yourself?" Julius asked dryly.

"What? Respect your seniors! Julius examined the pathetic burrito-child skeptically.

"Gray! He called me a pathetic burrito-child!" said child whined to the boy who had recently entered. Standing in the doorway was a kid about Ace's size. He wore a dark green shirt and brown pants. Clutching a brown stuffed rabbit under his lizard tattoo, bright topaz eyes looked at them over the plush's ears.

"But Nightmare-sempai, you do look like a burrito," Gray said, carefully glancing between the two. Julius frostily ignored him. "Um, anyways, I found someone outside. He's been listening in for a while now."

"I'm not here," Ace's squeaky voice came from behind the door.

Julius sighed, "Ace, come here."

The boy came out with his head ducked. Gray smirked as Ace dragged his feet over to his senior.

"I'm sorry about the clock thing. Do you ha-"

Julius casually thumped him on the back of the head. "I told you already. I don't-and won't-hate you."

Gray's smile fell, unheeded as the other beamed.

"Oh! Oh!" bouncing on the balls of his feet, Ace tugged on Julius's sleeve. "I also put away the coffee beans ALL by myself!" he smiled brighter when he received a pat on the head and a congratulation for his hard work.

"And I-ow! Hey! Why'd you push me?"

"You were being annoying," Gray gripped his plushie and glared at the grounded Ace.

"I thought your mom was a better teacher, Gray," Julius said coldly, hoisting his friend acquaintance back to his feet.

"You're one to speak about parents."

Julius was cut off before he could beat up the tiny offender.

"Eh?" Nightmare wiggle to face them. "What are you talking about?"

Ace, once again making a bipolar recovery, gasped loudly. "A caterpillar!"

Silence fell over the room, broken only as Nightmare unfroze then sullenly inched around until his back faced the audience. The movement undoubtedly resembled the fuzzy worm, and the squeaks released by the mattress didn't help. Seeming rather deflated, the hospital patient shrank back into the blanket and coughed pathetically.

"Huh?" Ace turned to Julius. "Did I say something bad again?"

"No, you're right. He does look like a caterpillar."

Even Gray was smiling now. "Caterpillar-sempai…"

"Shut u-blegh." He coughed again, making Gray flinch, Julius grimace, and Ace widen his eyes.

"Are you sick?" Walking up to the cot, he climbed onto it and began jumping. Julius felt a touch of sympathy.

"Ugh. Yes. I. Am," Nightmare's bundle helplessly rolled around. "STOP-Blech!"

"Okay, "Ace sat heavily. "Have they cut you open yet?"

The caterpillar stopped retching. "W-what do you mean?"

"Well, duh. Whenever someone goes to a hospital, they gut cut open. Doctors get their money by taking out your insides with a really big knife. Grown ups like that, so they pay a lot," Ace educated him sagely.

"I d-don't believe you."

"It's okay," he continued with a pitying expression. "I think you have a good chance of surviving the opermation. You're young and replendent." With that, he hopped off. "Bye, Mr. Caterpillar."

Julius followed Ace, not bothering to comment on his word choice.

"Eh? What do you mean 'might?' What's an opermation?"

The door clicked shut behind them.

****

And that's how Ace and Gray got to dislike each other, and Nightmare slowly became more and more afraid of hospitals. And why he's called the caterpillar of Wonderland.

About Gray's behavior: He only wanted to be accepted by Julius, but as time passed, he grew to think Julius was beyond help and would always hate him. Seeing him recover so well, still hate him, and easily like Ace, it was a moment of subconscious frustration for him.

I think.

**Note: If you review (please do), I'd love it if you gave me some ideas/questions/etc.**


	4. The Cheshire Cat

**Ink: ^^; Sorry, Ace was apologizing for asking about Julius' clock. He thought it was his fault Julius got so mad. (Poor Ace… *attacks in a hug*)**

**Earth: I completely agree. Their friendship makes me so happy, I can't help but write it.**

**Claire: Haha… Black got pwned… hehe… And thanks for laughing at the "oppermation" part. I was wondering if anyone was going to…**

**Blaze and Pasty: Thank you guys so much!**

**Mourning: Yay! I'm glad you laughed. I used to be the bravest of my family until my older sister told me horror stories. Purposely so that I would be a wuss like her. … … It worked. -_-**

**Noshi: I LOVE YOU! *attackles* And actually, all of those questions get answered. :D**

**Candy: Hm, that would be really interesting… *ponders deeply* I'll see what I can do!**

**Fantasy: Thank you! I love picturing them as little kids.**

**Seraphic: Yay! I'm glad you like it. I just feel… so bad for Nightmare…**

**Oreo: I know, right?**

**Mizuki: *le gashp* Canon? Thank you so much! (And welcome to Lost and Found!)**

**Strangely enough… I have almost no thoughts to convey in this author's note… Weird… *checks temperature* Oh! One thing:**

**This update is dedicated to Pasty Face, Mad-Dash-Mid-Jazz, and FantasticalFantasy.**

**Speaking of Fantasy, check out our collab fic _Lorina in Wonderland_ if you have the time! (Then review of course, but I don't need to tell you that ;) )**

"Ho ho ho. Merry Christmas!" Ace cracked up at his joke. After a day of rest, he really had come down the chimney and was currently sitting in the fireplace, looking like a bleached charcoal drawing with all the dust he had on himself. "Where are we going next?"

"Heart Castle," Julius spread the book he was reading on his bed.

The five-year-old climbed out of the hearth and scrambled across the floor, helping himself onto Julius' mattress. "Why?"

"That's where the white rabbit should be. See?" Julius flipped to a picture in the guide that depicted the Roleholders. The picture was divided into four sections: Diamond, Heart, Spade, and Clover. Pointing to the Clover section, he explained, "This is us. Grandfather is Time, but there's also the Caterpillar and the Lizard." Pointing to the section of Heart, "This is heart Castle. There's the King, Queen, Knave, and Rabbit. I'm sure it was the White Rabbit who took the clock, so he's probably at the castle."

"Okay!" Ace slid off, leaving a light trail of fluffy dust behind him. Stopping at the door, he turned around.

"Hey, Julius, what role am I?"

Julius looked him over and shrugged. Now that he thought about it, Ace _did _have a face. "Dunno. Aren't you an apprentice or something?"

"Uh-uh."

"Huh. I guess you're just weird," he muttered to himself, climbing off his bed. From there, he followed the sound of footsteps downstairs. Hopping the creaky step— a habit gained under the influence of Ace— Julius encountered the brunette being scolded by a faceless maid. He didn't look repentant in the least when she reproached him for his "lacking appearance."

"But I look fine," he explained. "Don't I, Julius?"

The older boy shrugged.

"Master Ace, you would shame this territory by going out like that."

"But— "

"No buts."

"Why?" Ace whined.

"I don't think that would be a problem, ma'am," Julius said, stepping forward. "No one would be able to recognize him."

The maid pursed her lips. Finally, she laughed and ruffled Ace's hair, wiping her hand on her apron when it came up slightly gray.

"Alright," she smiled. "If it doesn't bother you, there's not much I can do. But you had better take a bath the moment you get back."

"Thank you, ma'am," Julius nodded, leading Ace out of the tower.

"Okay," he continued once they were outside. "Let's go." He started off, but turned around when he couldn't hear any footsteps. Ace was gaping at him. "What?"

"Nothing!" the brunette chirped, running after him. Behind, the rickety wagon could be heard valiantly trying to hold its own.

_I didn't even see where he got it from,_ Julius thought.

Ten seconds… Twenty seconds.

"What is it?" Julius repeated as Ace glowed beside him.

His junior grinned. "You stood up for me! That's the first time!"

He blinked. "Huh."

They arrived at the castle in record time, mostly because Ace was leading the way. The ease at which he navigated was truly amazing. Gazing up at the edifice now, the apprentice immediately decided that the castle was structurally unsound. He pictured the huge structure in a windstorm or an earthquake and scowled grimly. Natural disasters were unlikely, but he let Ace walk in first.

Inside the castle, the immediate room was larger than seven of Julius' rooms put together, and was decorated with red and white tile. Majestic windows overlooked marble staircases and extensive corridors. The halls were wide and decorated with long red strips of thick carpet. Stepping on one softly, Julius felt his foot sink a half inch. Likewise, Ace was enjoying himself by wiping off the dirt on his shoes and wagon wheels. Thankfully, no one was around, so Julius didn't have to make up an excuse for their manners (for which— if the maids were anything like they were in the clock tower— he would definitely be scolded). Ace noticed the silence too.

"Why's it so quiet?" he whispered.

"Dunno." Julius removed a vase from Ace's wagon and replaced it on its table.

The tiny brunette put it back in. "Maybe there's a party in the courtyard or something."

"I don't think it's a party." He took the vase out again.

"Oh. Then I don't know," Ace shrugged and began walking away. He stopped. "Hey, Julius, do you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"Shh!"

Julius frowned, but patiently listened.

"I don't- "

"Shh!"

Once again, there was silence. It took some time, but some shouting could finally be heard in the halls farther back.

"…cat…"

"Cat?" Julius repeated.

"Dunno," Ace muttered. "But it's getting louder."

True to his word, with each passing second the yelling got louder and louder until an impressive mob turned the corner of the main hallway. Its members comprised of soldiers, maids, and menservants alike, all chasing a pink speck with a fury. As the stampede grew closer, Julius could make out more details. The pink figure turned out to be a boy about Ace's age, running on all fours. He had bright magenta hair and a bottlebrush tail of the same color. Purple cat ears pressed flat against his head. When the boy's eye color was visible— a topaz yellow— he opened his mouth.

"RUN!" he yowled, eyes wide with terror.

"Why?" Ace asked.

Unlike Ace, Julius didn't question the command. He grabbed Ace's arm and bolted.

They managed to hide in a small storage room just ahead of the others. It was a little cramped and unusually gray when compared to the rest of the castle, but Julius, Ace, and the wagon were able to fit comfortably enough. A few minutes later, they were surprised when the brightly-colored catboy joined them. Panting, he gave an ear-to-ear grin.

"Man! … Ha… ha… Hahaha… What a _rush!_" he half laughed, half gasped until he collapsed against the door. "Woohoo!"

Julius watched him with irritation steadily building. Finally, he stood up, knocking a small stool over. "Why were they chasing you?"

The cat stopped laughing, but he smiled again and pulled out a small handkerchief. "A lot of reasons, but mostly 'cause of these." Pulling a knot, the cloth opened to reveal several small pastries.

Ace jumped off of his crate. "Tarts?"

The cat grinned wider. "They're the queen's," he boasted.

"Then how come you've got them?"

"Stole 'em," he smirked.

"Why?"

The boy's smile fell. "'Cause I'm awesome like that."

Julius frowned. "We should give these back."

"No way! And now that you saw these, you're in on it too."

"In on what?" Ace chirped.

"In on my crime."

"Whatever. I'm telling." Julius reached for the door handle. It was obvious that they would all get into trouble if the cat wasn't revealed. His grandfather often referred to the queen as "unstable" with a pitying expression, so she couldn't be good at making decisions. Given that waiting would probably just make her more angry, the smart way out was to be quick about telling her.

"Tattletale!" Boris shouted at him. "Goody-two-shoes! Scaredy rat! Mouse! Yellow!"

"Julius…" Ace whined behind the door.

Although he hesitated before stepping into the hallway, there was a surprising lack of attendants. They must be somewhere else, Julius figured; after all, if all those people were chasing the cat, the tarts must be a very big matter. The queen would have to be found quickly.

Now that he was on the subject, what did the queen look like? Julius tried to picture "unstable," but couldn't conjure up anything more vivid than a fuzzy outline. A couple more minutes passed unsuccessfully and Julius gave up. He would figure it out when he saw her. A queen shouldn't be too hard to find if he looked.

**Please… Forgive me for my lack of updates. Preferably vocally through text (a review)(!)(!) In fact, you can berate me all you want, but I'd like to hear it through a review. Please and thank you!**


	5. The Queen of Hearts

***superdupermegasmiley face* I LOVE YOU, MY REVIEWERS! You are amazing and incredible and the only force that keeps me writing! *attackleglomps each and every one of you fantabulous reviewers***

**Honestly, I was planning on updating for a while (so that way I can get closer to finishing this little story :D), but it was only when I read all of your wonderful reviews that I decided to at all.**

**So, this update is dedicated to each and every one of you incredible, wonderful, astounding people who take the time out of their wonderful lives to tell me that you actually read what I'm writing.**

**You are incredible, thank you so much.**

**Fantasy: Huzzah! I am forgiven! *reads part about Boris* AHAHAHA! Y'know, I completely agree.**

**Blaze: *blahs all over Blaze* (And that's only 'cuz I WUBS you. :D) Thank you, I know. I /FELT/ blah. I'm happy to know that you know that blahs aren't my best. (And I'm glad it wasn't bad. But it wasn't good either… BLEARGH. It'll get fixed. Sometime…)**

**Noshi: Aw, thank you! And yes, Christmas does exist in Wonderland. Why? Because I said so. Ahahaha. Ahahahahahaha. Mwaha. Yeah, I feel bad for him, too. But then, I also felt bad when I started Ephemeral, and we all know where that's goin'… And in fact, the "Knave of Hearts" thing is, in fact, ANSWERED! In fact.**

**Ladybug: Aw, thank you so much! I hope that I'll continue to have your reviews.**

**Gateways: *sparkly eyes* *attackleglomps* Thank you! I'm so glad that you've fallen in love with the story! I hope this next chapter is as enjoyable as the rest. (And your question WILL be answered. :D Stay tuned.)**

**And to everyone who doesn't review: I CAN'T LOVE YOU IF I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU'RE READING MY WRITING. So, if you care that I care, please review. :DDDDD**

**Disclaimer: In response to not owning HnKnA, I have written this so that I may own the children of Wonderland (and this plotline)…Unfortunately, I still do not own the adult Julius… TT_TT**

**Random thought:**

**Ace: I wanna be a knight when I grow up.**

**Julius: I'd like to be a mortician, like grandfather.**

**Boris: I wanna be a cat. A mean one.**

**Everyone: …**

**Me: …You mean a tough one?**

**Boris: …**

**Me: …**

**Boris: Uh, sure. That too.**

"Tattletale!" the cat shouted. "Goody-two-shoes! Scaredy rat! Mouse! Yellow!"

"Julius…" Ace whined behind the door.

Julius shut the door, leaving the two children to an awkward silence. Ace was already beginning to regret not going with Julius. Ace always had something to talk about, so there were never any silences. Here, he didn't even know the cat's name.

Which reminded him, "Hey, what's your name?"

"Boris," the cat sulked, shoving the crumbled mess of tarts back inside the handkerchief.

"I'm Ace!" The brunette chirped.

"Cool," he said noncommittally, "Who's the traitor?"

"He's Julius."

"Alright," the cat stuffed the handkerchief into a pocket. "Let's go hunt 'im down."

"Hunt him down?"

"Of course! Unless you _wanna_ get in trouble." Boris inspected the boy's face. When Ace frantically shook his head, the cat grinned. "Great. Time to go catch us some rats."

They pushed open the door to the pantry and snuck out, walking close to the walls to keep people from seeing them (actually, it was on Boris's command that Ace stuck to the sides of the hall). It was only when they had reached an intersection in the halls that Boris broke the silence.

"Let's go this way," he started towards the left branch.

"Um, I don't think Julius would go outside."

"'Course he would, he's a rat."

Ace puzzled over this reasoning for a while before giving up and just following the cat. "So, why do you hate rats so much?"

This almost caused him to run into Boris, who had stopped at a dead halt. The cat turned around and scrutinized Ace's face.

"Ain't it obvious?"

Ace shook his head.

"I'm a cat, stupid. Cats hate rats and mice. _Everyone_ knows that."

It looked like Boris was rather opinionated on that subject, so Ace kept quiet until they reached the gardens.

The "gardens" consisted mostly of five-foot hedges and white rose bushes that sat perfectly pruned and beautifully bloomed. The grass between the leafy walls was a uniform color, and the widths of the paths seemed painstakingly planned. In short, the outside looked just as fabricated as the inside, but not as exciting.

So Ace thought until he and Boris stumbled upon a fight among the gardeners. There were about six facing off, three of them armed with buckets of red paint. Boris yanked him to the side of the hedge and pulled him into a crouch.

"What's going on?" Ace asked.

"Dunno. Let's check it out." Boris jabbed a thumb at the workers and turned to watch.

"Step down," one with a bucket said. His uniform was marked with a red 7. "The queen has ordered that the roses be painted red."

"But that's preposterous!" A black 4 replied. "The roses were grown white because it was the queen's favorite color!"

"That was then!" a haughty red 3 pointed a similarly colored brush at the 4. "This is now!"

"And after what happened, who can blame her?" a red female gardener joined in.

A small, ashamed silence came between the six.

"What happened?" a black female gardener asked quietly.

A black 8 turned to her. "Well, a couple of gardeners— I, as well— were helping her through the hedge maze and we came across the king."

"With the concubine?" The woman stepped back.

"With the concubine," black 8 sighed.

"Oh no," she breathed.

"Oh yes," the red woman sighed. "We came upon them just as the king handed _It_ a bouquet of Miss Vivaldi's roses."

"You should have seen the young queen's face, all twisted up like that," red 7 shook his head. "She used to love white roses the most, but the moment the concubine had her skinny little fingers around that bouquet, Miss Vivaldi banned all white flowers. She's been irritable ever since."

The black female wrung her shirt. "Poor girl."

Everyone nodded solemnly.

"Regardless of age difference, those two are the figureheads of Heart Territory," the red female put in. "The king should at least try to love his wife."

"There might still be a chance!" the black female said. "It's only an eight-year difference, right? Not even in the double digits. In a couple years, Miss Vivaldi will be the fairest in the land. I'm sure of it."

A couple members of the party laughed.

"You're awfully supportive of Miss Vivaldi," red 3 chuckled.

"Of course. The young Miss used to be one of us, you know."

"A faceless?"

"And a gardener. Her parents worked for this very palace, and she would tag along betimes."

"Ah, yes!" black 4 replied. "Her little brother had quite the green thumb, didn't he?"

"I wonder what happened to him…"

Ace shifted uncomfortably. He never liked listening to people talk, and Boris seemed to be experiencing boredom as well.

"Tch," he growled. "I thought they were gonna fight more. Whatever. Let's keep hunting."

With that, the two continued along the hallways until they heard a familiar voice.

Julius's voice floated down the hall. "And I'm sorry that…"

"Crap!" the cat hissed.

Ace was learning all sorts of new words from Boris.

Boris peered around the corner. "He's found the queen. Crap. We're so screwed."

"So it's your fault, apprentice clockmaker?" A girl's voice cut off Julius's apology. From what Ace could see, she seemed about fourteen. She wore a dark red dress and an unbecoming scowl. Underneath a gold circlet, her cold (Ace filled that part in with his imagination) violet eyes scrutinized Julius.

"…Yes," Julius replied.

"What kind of tattletale is he?" Boris crowed. "Taking all the blame. Haha, sweet. Well, I'm outta here." A pink door appeared out of nowhere, and in a second, the cat was gone.

"Well, of course you must be punished. It wouldn't have been so bad if you hadn't run away. I'm perfectly happy with sharing, after all," she scolded him.

Julius stared at the floor. "Yes."

Was he really going to be punished? It wasn't even his fault. Ace looked around for something that could help him. His eyes landed on a knotted handkerchief.

"I'll have you locked up in the dungeon for a few days."

The boy's head jerked up. "That's not fai— "

"Wait!" Ace ran towards the two of them. "You… you… you hag!"

Both the apprentice and queen jumped and faced the brunette.

"Ace!" Julius's eyes widened.

Vivaldi's did, too. _"Hag?"_

"Julius wasn't the one who stole your tarts, hag! It was me! See?" He held up the knotted handkerchief.

"I am the queen, not a hag!" she argued.

"Yeah right, you hag! You don't even speak like a queen! Queens are regal-er and fancy and stuff!"

Julius took a step in front of Ace. "We're sorry. He really doesn't mean it. Will Your Excellency please excuse his gaffe?"

The queen looked between the two boys before quietly taking the cloth. "If you apologize like that, I don't have much of a choice, huh." Undoing the knot, she grimaced as crumbs— for that was all that was left of the mutilated tarts— spilled out.

"See?" Ace repeated.

Vivaldi pursed her lips. "Well, fine. Just go and don't come back. Since you two are so set on helping each other, I'll let it go this time," she sighed.

"Yay! Thank you!"

"Yes, thank you, Your Majesty."

The two rushed off, leaving the young queen in the hallway.

"Weird kids," she muttered. Another thought passed, "Speak like a queen, huh?"

"Your Highness!" a faceless maid rushed toward her. "We haven't managed to catch the tart-thieves. Sincerest apologies."

Vivaldi lifted her chin to meet the face of the maid. "We found him ourselves," she said regally. "'Twas only a knave who stole our tarts, nothing more."

"Oh, a knave." The faceless nodded.

When she didn't leave, the queen gave a small smile. "Was there anything else?"

"Um, yes. Miss— I mean, Your Highness, did you just say 'we'?"

"How we address ourselves does not concern you." Ha. Even the maid noticed she was speaking fancier.

"Of course, madam." The maid scurried off.

Vivaldi smiled. This could be really fun.

**..**

"Why did you say you were the theif?" Julius asked on the way home. "You know you'll be accused of this for the rest of Wonderland history."

"It's okay," Ace grinned. "I mean, if I didn't come in, you were gonna take the blame, right? And you'd have to spend a couple days in the dungeon!"

"You almost got us beheaded," Julius countered.

"Well, she is a hag! Really! I'll call her that for the rest of my life!"

Julius laughed.

"Hey, Julius?"

"Yeah?"

"What's 'gaffe?'"

"A faux pas."

Ace was quiet for a moment. "Oh," he finally said. "Okay."

Non-sha-lunt, crap, gaffe, and foe-pah. He would have to remember those.

**Questions answered: 1.) Why does Vivaldi use the royal "we?" Because it sounds more regal to a fourteen-year-old girl.**

**2.) Why is Blood so magically good at growing roses? Because he's gay. I mean, it's because he comes from a line of gardeners. (No, it's really because he's gay.)**

**3.) Why does Ace call Vivaldi a hag? Because she was mean to Julius**

**4.) Was it the knave of hearts who stole Vivaldi's tarts? No, it was the cat and his curiosity.**


	6. The King of Hearts

**Don't worry, my next chapter is actually ready, I just wanted to post this one first because I love VivaldixKing so much. They make me happy, so I wanted to post a bit from the Vivaldiverse at this point in time.**

**Oh! And hello again! It's been quite some time, hasn't it? I've missed you guys :D Happy to be back. Hopefully for a long time.**

**As always, read and review!**

One day, she looked in the mirror and cried. Her parents pounded on the door and couldn't figure out what was wrong with her. She didn't dare tell them— even _she_ didn't know what was wrong with her. The dark spaces where her eyes were supposed to be now housed bulging red orbs. She had _hair_ on her brow bone, and her face, which had always been a smooth peach color, now was pale with ugly blotches of pink. Her mouth was a disgusting cherry red, like someone had glued a chili pepper onto it overnight and her hair was so curly that she couldn't even shove it into her usual ponytail. All she could do was cry into her teddy bear. Until the next morning.

She must have done something wrong. She knew that she must have done something wrong, because the cards that she used to work with broke down her door. She kicked and screamed but they hauled her away, ugly face and teddy bear and all. By the time she was reduced to weak, coughing sobs, they had taken her past the gardens she loved, through the palace she once dreamed of approaching, and into a room that she immediately decided she hated. Upon trying to escape the torment, she was locked in with a horrendously beautiful dress, like the kind she dressed her dolls up in on her birthday. Then she remembered: it was her birthday. She was ten years old.

When she tore the dress to shreds, they didn't take her back. They didn't even scold her. In moments, she was simply supplied a new dress, just as magically pretty as the first one. As if a fairy waved her wand and gave her an ugly face, a cute dress, and an enchanted castle. She hated it. She hated it and cried but maids walked in and dressed her and dragged her to the dinner table.

She had never seen the king before— he never seemed to walk by her part of the garden— but he was kind and said she was cute and praised her on her bravery. And congratulations, she was the new queen. It made her cry again. But once again, she wasn't scolded, but no one comforted her or took her back to her home. When she had returned to her room, she overheard the maids talking.

"Poor little girl, made a role holder at her age."

"Poor king. He so loved the last queen."

But that was the last she heard about the old queen. And as the days passed, she slowly stopped crying and screaming and kicking. She began attending lessons. She even learned to wear the offensively beautiful dresses. She hated it, but she was ten years old. What could she do? The only pleasant parts of the day were mealtimes, when she would see the king and he would talk to her about flowers and birds and springtime. She liked those moments. She liked him.

One night she was plagued with another bout of homesickness, and found herself wandering the halls— after a week or two, the maids unlocked her doors. Walking and wandering with her teddy bear, she heard crying from a room down the hall. A small light flickered underneath the cracked door. Peeking in, she saw the king clutching a picture and crying. She opened the door and he started, wiping the traces away when he saw it was her. He asked her if she was feeling well. Silently, she climbed onto his bed and hugged him. A moment, two moments passed and he began crying again, holding her and the picture in a crushing embrace. She started crying, too. That night, they slept curled around each other. Two lost souls in desperate need of a friend.

From that point forward, they were inseparable. She learned to study on her own so she could stay in the room where he worked. She showed him the section of the garden that she used to groom with her family. She played the piano in secret so that she could show him one day. He took her on walks around the castle. He taught her, stooped over, how to dance. He gave her a name: Vivaldi. For springtime. She couldn't make the connection, but she loved the name all the same. They still cried sometimes, but when they cried, they cried together and the more time they spent together, the happier they became. She found that she stopped hating the dresses and the face and the lessons. They all meant that she could stay with the king. And that's what mattered.

The year he kicked her out of his room was the year that he found himself a concubine. She was a pretty little faceless with hair and a figure that looked like the old queen. Vivaldi understood that the king wanted a partner, not a child, but she watched every day as the concubine took her place beside him. It was the concubine he took on walks, it was the concubine he taught to dance, and it was the concubine who invaded the room where he and Vivaldi cried a short four years together. It was still four years. But in a matter of months, those four years were dashed to pieces as the king disappeared from Vivaldi's sight and she from his thoughts. Vivaldi was alone again. And she couldn't help it. She was a princess, not the queen, and certainly not the old queen. Even at mealtimes, the only time they had alone, they rarely spoke. He didn't talk about the flowers or the birds or the springtime anymore, and she didn't talk about her lessons and the piano and dresses. She had to stop herself from hating the dresses and the castle and the face at times like those, when the air itself was so apathetic it sucked the words from your mouth. So he said nothing and she said nothing as they cut into meat that she could have sworn was her heart.


	7. A Caucus Race

**AAAAAAAAAS promised! Let's get back to the story of our favorite two children: Ace and Julius!**

** Fantasy: Haha, I'm glad you like it. (And I'll have to check out Ace Attorney. I don't know who Franziska is, but I think it's good.)**

** Blaze: Yay! I'm glad this chapter was a success and that you liked Vivaldi. She's just so adorable. I wanna write something with her and her darling king. *fangirls***

** Somewhere (Or are you Nowhere? Derp. :B ): Aww, thank you! I love him too. I just wanna hug him and squeeze more vocabulary out of him.**

** Gateways: No… Blood isn't right at all… He even screws up Elliot. And thank you for your continued reviews!**

** Shadow: Yay! Yellow means cowardly, and I'm so glad that you like this story.**

** Kiwi: Hahaha, I'm glad I could answer your questions. (And right now, your wishes! Here's another chapter!)**

** EarthRiddle: O_O Should I be scared?**

** OnionBay: HUZZAH! Welcome to the club, we're glad to have you.**

** Noshi: Yaay... Updaaaate...**

** Sheelos, Moonlight, Canterella, Oli and Elena: Thank you thank you thank you for reviewing! Sorry it's taken me so long to get my act together.**

**REVIEW! YEAH! WE LOVE REVIEWS! EVEN ONE-LINERS! WHOOT!**

**Julius: Your review-gathering techniques are becoming as pathetic as you are.**

**Me: But… But… I really want to know who my audience is…**

**Julius: Has it ever occurred to you that they are avoiding you on purpose?**

**Me: *dawning realization* O_O**

**Julius: … Space Whales?**

**Me: *still in shock***

**Julius: *sigh* Whatever. I'll wake her up. Ace, take care of the disclaimer. *drags Whaley off***

**Ace: Okay! *serious* Whaley decided to write this because she cannot and does not actually own any of the Wonderland cast. Or a life.**

**Me: Not true... If I had no life there would be more updates.**

**One more thing: Gray calls Nightmare "-sempai," because Nightmare doesn't quite have the title of "-sama" yet. "-Sempai" is a term that denotes seniority, while "-sama" is like "lord/lady." The reason sempai is used in Gray's language is because a.) he's from a different country, and b.) because Gray is extremely formal, even as a kid. The only real titles of respect in America are "Mr./Mrs./Ms.," and none of them can be used in Gray's situation. He also calls Ace "Ace," which can show extreme disrespect and helps me out with conveying his distaste for our tiny hero. Also, Ojii-sama basically means grandpa, but formal.**

The color gray was the first thing that came to mind. Not the fact that he was floating, or the fact that there was no other scenery— that was to be expected in a dream— but that this was the first truly colorless dream he had experienced. Gray extended in all directions, giving the illusion of an endless fog. Even under his feet swirled a gloomy gray mist.

With such scenery, Ace was only kept entertained for a few moments. Afterwards, he could only sit and wonder at why he had come up with such a boring dream.

"My realm isn't boring!" a familiar voice shouted.

"Mr. Caterpillar!" Ace greeted in return.

Nightmare was floating a couple feet above the floor. No longer wrapped in a green blanket, he looked almost laughably imperious in black with gold trim. "And I'm not a caterpillar!"

"Yes you are! You look like a monarch caterpillar now."

"I am not a— blech…"

Ace politely waited for Nightmare to finish throwing up before he asked his next question:

"So why's it all gray?"

"Because gray is the color of dreams," Nightmare puffed up.

Ace thought the extra volume made him look even more like a wriggly bug. "No, it's not. My dreams are a lot more colorful. You need all sorts of different colors to make it dream-like."

Nightmare glared at him, but flecks of red spattered across the background. "Like that?"

"Now it just kinda looks like you threw up all over it."

The grimace grew an inch. Orange and green mists formed, swirling in the background.

"Now it _really_ looks like you threw up. You need more colors! Like yellow and purple and char… char…"

"Chartreuse?"

"Yeah, that one! Char… char… that blue color."

"Chartreuse is green."

"Then that other one."

Nightmare huffed.

Gratifyingly, Ace watched as the world around him became a swirling rainbow of color. It was much more interesting than the gray he saw when he first woke in the realm.

"Happy?"

"Yep," the boy nodded. Sitting down, he asked, "Why am I here?"

"Gray wanted to talk to you."

"But I don't see him." In fact, both the color and the person were nowhere to be found in the misty world.

"He's finishing up some work with his family."

"Work?"

"Yeah, things like learning and exercise. They're really big on those."

"What would he need to learn?"

"Work." Just then, a swirl of mist condensed to form the child they were waiting for. Gray stepped forward, holding his plush rabbit securely. "Thank you, Nightmare-sempai."

"What kind of work?"

Ignoring his question, Gray gave him a severe look. "You should stay away from Julius-sempai, Ace."

Weird. He came all the way to tell him that? "Why?"

"Because he's a bad influence," Gray replied with solemn sincerity.

"No he's not," Ace protested. Sure, Julius was grumpy in the mornings, didn't talk much, criticized his actions, locked Ace out of his room, and in general never made an effort to play with him, but he wasn't a bad… whatever. Well, he wasn't bad. Ace knew that much.

"Yes he is! He's mean and serious and beats up people he doesn't like. He's— why are you smiling?"

True to Gray's word, Ace was grinning with what he just heard. "You said he beats up people he doesn't like. He's never hit me before." Well, he had been knocked on the head once or twice, but those were really just harder versions of head pats. "I guess he just likes me more than you."

That set him off. In a moment, Ace was shoved to the ground with Gray hovering over him. "You're just lucky, stupid." Gray growled. "He's only nice to you because Ojii-sama told him to!"

"Hey!" Nightmare started to say something but was racked by a coughing fit. When he recovered, he wiped his mouth and continued. "No fighting in my realm. I can't even hold this world for very lo— hack!" As he erupted into another coughing fit, the ground shook and shattered like a mirror, sending all three of the children falling into darkness.

Ace woke up with start, feeling a little like he had just fallen out of the sky. A little disoriented, he looked around the room. No mists, no Mr. Caterpillar, everything looked normal.

"Weird," he muttered. What else could Mr. Caterpillar do? When he wasn't vomiting, that was. Maybe he could shoot lasers from his eyes. Or make portals to different worlds! Maybe he could speak with aliens!

"Ace?" Julius appeared in the doorway.

"Julius!" the brunette hopped out of bed. "Can Mr. Caterpillar talk to aliens?"

"What?"

"Can Mr. Caterpillar talk to aliens?" Ace said more loudly.

Julius regarded him for a moment. "No."

With that, he turned around and walked away.

"Wait!" Ace ran after him. "Did you come to wake me up?"

"No."

Ace puzzled over this. He was usually the one to wake up Julius, because he wanted to play together. "Did you want to play with me?" he asked.

"No. We need to check Hatter Territory next." Julius descended the stairs.

"For what?'

"The clock. That's what we're looking for."

Both of them hopped the last step.

"Oh, yeah," Ace said when he landed. "Why would it be at the Hatter's mansion?"

"I don't know. But it's still a possibility."

"Okay."

When they got outside, Ace grabbed his wagon and followed the apprentice, only to be stopped at the crossroad. Julius's shoulders rose and fell with a heavy sigh. Turning to the younger child, he raised an eyebrow.

"Do you know a shortcut?" Julius asked him.

"YES!" Ace beamed with the older boy's trust. Within minutes, they were standing in front of the looming walls that bordered the mansion.

"You did good," Julius told him, ruffling his hair absently.

Beaming, the two approached the gate. Two women with curly hair greeted them. "Good morning, cuties," the first, a blonde, smiled, leaning comfortably on her poleax.

The second, a brunette, shrugged. "Blood's cuter."

The blonde grinned back. "No one's cuter than Master Blood. So, to what do we owe this pleasure?"

Julius and Ace looked at each other. "Have you seen a white rabbit?"

"Hm…" The blonde pursed her lips. "What do you think, Dum?"

"Don't know, don't care," the brunette shrugged again.

"Well, sweeties, would you like to go see? Master Blood and his friends are all there right now, so you can jump in if you want to."

"Thank you," the two boys chorused, entering the iron gates.

The courtyard was positively ginormous, as the two boys found out after a good twenty minutes of roaming. As they were preparing to give up, they came across a group of ten or fifteen children running around in a circle. Casting another glance at each other, Ace spoke up.

"What are you doing?" he asked one of the runners. The boy had gray feathery hair that stuck out in all directions. He had large glasses that might have been oval, but were currently bent in several directions and sported a cracked lens. He stopped when Ace called out to him and walked over.

"We're doing a caucus race, can't you tell?" he rolled his eyes and stood on one foot.

Ace knitted his eyebrows. "If it's a race, where's the starting line?"

"It's a _caucus race," _he repeated. "There's no starting line."

"And why are you running in a circle?"

"Because it's a _caucus race._"

Julius, too, looked confused. "Is it really all right for you to be sitting here while everyone else is running?"

Here, the boy gave a smug look and pushed up his glasses, shifting feet. "Don't worry. I'm _way _ahead of everyone else."

Ace scrunched up his forehead. How could he tell?

"Oh, we're almost done. Stop!" the boy called.

Everyone stopped. Now that they were all still, Ace could see that three people in the number had faces. The first was the boy with the glasses, the next was a taller child with the ears of a hare, and the last was a pale child with black hair. He was bent over and panting hard.

"Who won, Ben?" the hare said, grinning and bouncing.

"Weeeeeeeeell…" the gray-haired boy cleared his throat and cleaned his glasses. "Third put up a good fight, so I would have to say that it was Blood Dupre."

The hare grinned and patted the black-haired boy on the back. "It's your first time placing," he grinned.

The other child shook his hand off and glared.

"Second place was me, as always," the gray-haired boy, Ben, cleared his throat again.

Ace wanted to ask why he was second when he claimed to be ahead of the others, but didn't get the chance.

"And first place goes to Elliot!"

Elliot got cheers as he did a fist pump. "Ha! You all got your butts handed to you by a rabbit! Yeah! I'm awesome, right, Blood?"

Recovered by this point, Blood ignored the hare and walked off. Elliot seemed disappointed for a moment, but was soon laughing and clapping everyone else on the back. Grinning widely, he walked up to Ben, munching on a raw carrot.

"Good job," he stuck his hand out. "I was afraid I'd lose."

Ben straightened his glasses and returned the handshake. "You didn't do too bad. For a rabbit."

"Thanks," his face fell. "You think Blood's mad that I always beat him?"

"Naw, he's fine. He's always like that."

"I know," Elliot looked off to where he disappeared. When he glanced back, he finally noticed Ace and Julius. "Hey! Haven't seen you before! I'm Elliot," he smiled, sticking his hand out to the two of them.

Julius shook first. "Julius Monrey."

The rabbit laughed. "I've never met a girl named Julius."

The ravenette's lips thinned. "I am a boy," he said frostily.

"What? What's with the hair, then?"

"I like it that way," he said through his teeth.

"Ace!" Ace shook as well. "It's okay, I thought Julius was a girl the first time I saw him, too."

"Nice to meet you guys. Just let me know if you need anything. I got it covered."

"Have you seen any rabbits around?" Julius asked when he finished glaring.

The hare's eyebrows pushed together as he thought. "I always thought I was the only rabbit around here. Some get into the garden sometimes, but you'd have to ask Blood about that."

"Where is he?"

"Probably with the flowers. He goes there sometimes," Elliot shrugged. "Here, I'll show you."

Without further ado, the boy brought them to a garden that was wilder but more appealing than the hedges of Heart Castle. Blood was sitting, sulking, on a white viewing chair.

"Hey, Blood," Elliot waved.

The black-haired child ignored him until Julius and Ace approached. "Hello," Julius said. "We're from the clock tower. Have you seen a white rabbit, by chance?"

Blood sneered down at him. "You mean _the_ white rabbit? He's never stepped foot in here."

Julius looked surprised by the boy's hostility, but sneered in return. "It was just a question. No need to be so infantile."

"At least I'm not a _girl._" He looked down from his chair. "What are you doing, wearing pants? It's gross. Didn't your parents teach you better?"

With that, Julius let out a war cry and tore the boy from his seat. Ace watched, amazed as the thin child positively pummeled Blood. The latter began to closely resemble his namesake when Elliot finally jumped in to defend him. The two had a rather impressive go of it when the faceless finally found and separated the three. Blood was escorted to a bed and Julius hauled to a different room. Elliot followed the first, so Ace attended the second.

"Wow, Julius! You're awesome!" he grinned.

Said child glared at him over a bloodied tissue. "Whatever."

"No, really! I thought you didn't stand a chance! I mean, when we saw the white rabbit, he totally bowled you over."

"I was caught off guard," he huffed, looking away. "I'm used to fighting with Gray."

"So that's why he said you were bad enfluin!"

"A what?"

Ace was proud to know a word Julius didn't. "He told me that you were a bad enfluin. But don't worry, I stood up for you. I was not non-sha-lunt." He was on a roll with the smart words today.

Julius watched him for a long time before shaking his head and walking out of the room. "Whatever, let's just go, now that we know that the clock isn't here."

"Okay!"

As they trundled out, wagon reappeared and squeaking behind them, they heard another conversation taking place.

"Sorry, Blood, I was really surprised, and he didn't look like he could punch that— "

"So? I didn't need your help."

"But he— "

"I hate rabbits."

Elliot fell silent.

"They're tiny and stupid and hop around like they know everything! Well they don't! They stick their dumb noses into everything and tear up the garden, too! I hate them!"

The two listeners jumped when Elliot opened the door, looking stricken. Shouldering past them, he trudged down the hall. His ears drooped. The two followed him silently outside.

The featherhead greeted them loudly when they came outside again.

"We're doing another caucus race! Wanna join in?" he asked, standing on one foot.

"No," Julius shook his head.

"I'm okay!" Ace grinned.

"Lame! What about the rabbit?" Ben called amicably when Elliot didn't reply.

"Shut up! I'm not a rabbit!"

The protest was loud enough that everyone jumped.

"Um, you okay?" the four-eyes asked, so surprised that both his feet were on the ground.

Elliot's eyes widened at his own outburst, but looked down and shrugged. "Yeah. I'm fine. Just… I'm not a rabbit, okay? Rabbits are stupid and hop around like they know everything. And, and they don't." He shoved his hands into his pockets and looked away. "So don't call me a rabbit."

"O-kay," Ben shrugged, getting back on one foot. "Well, do you want to join in the caucus race?"

"Sure," Elliot nodded and stood among the unorganized group of children. There was no clear order or starting place, but when Ben called for the start, Ace had to admit that Elliot was still the fastest.

"Julius…Elliot's still a rabbit, right?"

"Yes, he is."

"Okay," he nodded. Then, with another thought, "How do you win a caucus race?"

"No clue."

**Dang! These weren't supposed to be so depressing! I just got back, for heaven's sake! Well, let's go over questions answered:**

**1.) How did Nightmare's world get so rainbowy? Ace's fault.**

**2.) Why is Elliot not a rabbit? Because Blood's a jerk.**

**3.) How do you win a caucus race? Who the crap knows?**

**In other news, I thought chartreuse was blue, but when one of my friends was reading it, they were like, "Whaley, it's green." And I was like "Good mother of a blergleschmuffin!"**

**And in case you didn't catch it, Ben was the dodo. He dies. But not in this story.**


End file.
